Puck Daddy

In a way, the NHL's Free Agent Frenzy is a lot like your fantasy hockey draft, only with slightly less beer and more trash-talking. Teams are assembling talent based on reputation, performance and management's own internal metrics of evaluation; then, without warning, plans go out the window when there's a run on a certain type of player.

For example, the Minnesota Wild thought they had former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu(notes) on the hook until the rest of the NHL realized that veteran centers that can anchor a scoring line aren't exactly in abundance in the UFA market.

So as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports, things went a little south on Day 2:

Fletcher said "negotiations are ongoing with Saku" Koivu, the decorated older brother of Wild center Mikko Koivu(notes). But according to sources, the deal appeared to be heading south fast after the team felt Koivu-to-Minnesota was a lock Wednesday night.

"We've expressed some interest. I think a lot of teams have expressed interest," Fletcher said. "He's a great hockey player and there aren't a lot of centermen in the market place, so I'd be stunned if 10 or 15 teams haven't reached out to him by this point. ... I certainly sensed some interest [from Koivu], but there's a lot of good situations out there. Most teams in the league are thin at the center position."

Russo previously reported that the term of the contract was the sticking point. He also wrote that the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks were in play for Koivu's services. Andrew Gross of the Rangers Report gets the vibe that Koivu is looking harder at the Western Conference than the Lincoln Tunnel area.

In any case, Koivu's still in play and his stock appears to be on the rise; which is probably good news for the other pivots still out on the market that can get his sloppy ... er, his second choices.

As this point, your heart just goes out to Steven Stamkos. The No. 1 overall pick in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the kid battled through absurd expectations placed on him through offseason marketing -- and his own struggles -- in a season that saw him earn just three third-place sympathy votes for the Calder.

But he played better as the year wore on, and played very well for Team Canada in the 2009 world championships. Olympic hockey analyst Pierre McGuire thought his international experience might be enough to earn Stamkos a roster spot for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Games; but then again:

"The age factor may be as it was for Crosby and Phaneuf when they weren't chosen to go to the 2006 Olympics. Age will be part of the equation but not all of it."

Stamkos is 19. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will be 20 when the Team Canada orientation camp opens in August. Doughty, drafted right behind Stamkos, was invited; Stamkos was not.

Some other interesting omissions at the Team Canada 'who will lose to the gold to the Russians?' orientation camp roster was revealed this morning:

Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings: A long-shot to make the cut, considering the caliber of the five goalies invited to the camp. But with Steve Yzerman as the executive director, one figured he might have an 'in.' His Canadian Red Wings teammates rallied behind him as a candidate when asked about it during the Stanley Cup finals.

Marc Savard, Boston Bruins: The competition at center is obviously steep, and neither he nor Brad Richards of the Dallas Stars received an invite. (Yet Andy McDonald did.) McGuire had him as a bubble player to make the team, so not getting a call for camp is a little surprising. 

Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators: Good lord, how the mighty have fallen. Three world juniors appearances, two world championship appearances and a reserve on the Canadian team in the 2006 Games in Turin. Now, he doesn't even get a skate in the door.

Coming up, the full camp roster. Any other omissions catch your eyes? Brian Campbell? Ed Jovanovski? Marty Turco? Zack "Huggy Bear" Stortini (jokes)?

(NOTE: Don't forget about Puck Daddy's 2009 Free Agent Frenzy Chatter Box)

There are two ways to look at the New York Rangers' decision to sign Marian Gaborik this evening in one of the most significant moves of the Free Agent Frenzy.

1. That the Rangers have, in the last 24 hours, turned Scott Gomez and his seemingly untradeable contract into Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins and Ryan McDonagh. In Gaborik, they have a player whose flashes of creativity under the conservative weight of Jacques Lemaire hockey have been tantalizing; one that is two seasons removed from 42 goals and 83 points. They've signed the most purely talented winger the franchise has seen since Jaromir Jagr.

2. Or, that the Rangers have committed $7.5 million annually against the cap for the next five years to a player whose fragility and nagging injuries have become synonymous with his talent. They've invested in a stock that's either boom or bust.

Right now, we're all goofing on the Rangers for breaking the bank and wondering what John Tortorella's profanity-filled reaction will be when Gaborik's misses his 10th straight game with a wonky groin. Which is ignoring the genius of this move by Sather.

(NOTE: Don't forget about Puck Daddy's 2009 Free Agent Frenzy Chatter Box)

After losing Dwayne Roloson to the New York Islanders, the Edmonton Oilers needed a goalie and found the biggest name on the market: Nikolai Khabibulin, signed for $15 million over four years for a $3.75 million annual cap hit (Via TSN).

That's quite a market correction for the Bulin Wall, as his cap hit last season with the Chicago Blackhawks was the gargantuan $6.75 million number that made him immovable.

Lowetide's immediate take:

I think we should prepare ourselves for a trade that sends dollars away later tonight. No immediate word about whether or not this kills the Heatley deal.

He's a veteran NHL goaltender, and this would be considered an overpay.

Khabibulin's birthday: Jan 13, 1973. Roloson's birthday: Oct 12, 1969. Hey, they're paying for youth!

Was this a desperation move or was Khabibulin Plan B after losing Roloson? Sure, you're locked into a guy who is going to turn 37 next season for the next four years. But Roloson's cap hit was $3.667; is this really overpayment?

Bottom line is that Edmonton has gone from the city where the TSN boys said no one wanted to play to the city that might end the night with Nikolai Khabibulin and Dany Heatley. Money (and talent going back to Ottawa) talks.

Other signings of note since the last update ...

Marian Hossa's career judgment is probably on the level of Dana Carvey leaving SNL for the movies right now, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt on this blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hossa signed today for $62.8 million over 12 years. That's a $5.233 million cap hit per season. (New figures via LeBrun.)

Hossa gets north of $5 million, which was something he wasn't going to get from the Detroit Red Wings. He gets the job security he surrendered for a second-place finish last season for the Stanley Cup. Sure, he left millions (and championship bling) on the table for his decisions last summer; but he came within a win of the Cup, and now he's going to play with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane for the next decade in an organization that's quickly been re-established as elite.

Yes, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith are all up for restricted free agency next summer. The Blackhawks have some magic to work. Maybe they can keep giving Brian Campbell dirty looks until he leaves for the KHL. (Not to say Campbell's signing was a mistake; but the amount, right now, is certainly regrettable.) 

The "chuckling" in the headline is coming from teams looking at the Blackhawks' salary structure. Rob Rossi's reaction from a random Penguins player could be the norm. Fans are calling Hossa greedy, too.

Chicago's decision here can be debated; ask Tampa about a top-heavy salary structure under the cap. Even if, as Darren Dreger reported, the Hossa deal is "heavily front loaded" with $53 million for the first seven years. Sure would be shame if he lost his will to play after seven years, huh?

Hossa's decision can't be debated, unless you're a bitter Detroit fan or a still-bitter Pittsburgh Penguins fan. It's a good spot for him.

Although does this guy have a fetish for uncomfortable situations or what?

A few other signing thoughts ...

When the overwhelming majority is in complete agreement, our cynicism kicks in.

No movie deserves "A-pluses" across the board. No restaurant is immune to a bad meal, not matter how many stars it's received. No hockey trade should be given the near-universal stamp of approval that last night's stunning Scott Gomez deal between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens has; in the sense that Glen Sather is a salary-shedding genius and Bob Gainey is the type of guy who offers a cashier $10,000 for a box of Tic-Tacs and then says, "Keep the change."

The trade saw the Montreal Canadiens acquire Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenseman Mike Busto from the Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko. By this morning, a few bits of common knowledge had been established:

• Gomez was a free-agent bust with the Rangers, and Montreal just took on a huge contract for a guy who may or may not be the No. 1 center they've been looking for.

• The Canadiens were fleeced, and the Rangers can now go on a shopping spree.

• Based on his inclusion in the trade back to the Rangers, Ryan McDonagh is being chatted up as the amalgamation of Brian Leetch and Jesus Christ.

We're always going to be "wait and see" on a deal like this, not only to find out if a change of scenery ignites Gomez's game -- he's an elite playmaker, but that doesn't make him an elite center -- but also to see how the Rangers cope with his loss from a fiscal and personnel perspective.

But as you'll see in the following reactions from Rangers and Canadiens writers, the majority rules: Montreal got hosed.

When news was floating around that the Sedins were close to inking back with the Canucks, we delayed this ranking. Taking Daniel Sedin out of the equation does affect the rest of the wingers, albeit minimally because he's obviously a package deal. If the Sedins are re-signed before noon, then add Steve Sullivan of the Nashville Predators to the list.

It's an intriguing list because there are some real risk/reward situations here. Marian Gaborik, in particular, could be the signing of the year if he can stay healthy; yet there's a better chance that the new "G.I. Joe" flick wins Best Picture than that happening, based on Gabby's track record.

Here's a glance at the top wingers, as the Frenzy nears ...

The first news was that Christopher Higgins, a Long Island native, was being traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the New York Rangers (via Kevin Allen of USA Today on Twitter).

Then came the bombshell: Scott Gomez, signed through 2014 with a $7.357 million cap hit annually, was finally jettisoned from Broadway, according to TSN. The full trade:

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko from the Montreal Canadiens.

Amazing.

Amazing that Glen Sather found a taker for Gomez and that contract, which just today was named one of the worst free-agent signings in recent memory by Sports Illustrated. Amazing that this salary dump opens up so many avenues for John Tortorella and the Rangers this summer, from Dany Heatley to Martin St. Louis (if the Lightning would ever surrender him). Wednesday could be a shopping spree for the Blueshirts.

(UPDATE: Rangers Report claims Heatley's headed to the Rangers tonight.)

Amazing that a player like Ryan McDonagh would come back the other way, too. Isn't that the kind of player the salary dumper usually gives up to sweeten the pot?

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Your USA Hockey orientation camp invitees. No Keith Tkachuk or Bill Guerin or Rick DiPietro, but a player can make the team without going to camp:

Goaltenders: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas

Defensemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Ryan Whitney

Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.

• Interesting piece post-NHL Draft that looks at the prospects from "non-traditional" U.S. markets and the decline of Russian prospects; wondering if Gary Bettman's "Southern Strategy" is actually paying off in fresh talent playing hockey. [On Goal Analysis]

• And this is why we all wanted John Tortorella to coach the New York Rangers: "I just think we're soft. I'm not trying to insult anyone physically but I think we're soft thinkers. I think we need to grow in what we need to do in preparation and practice habits." [NorthJersey.com]

• Marian Hossa and the take-it-or-leave-it offer from Detroit. [Snapshots]

• The wooing of Jay Bouwmeester continues, as the soon-to-be-former Florida Panthers defenseman gets calls from Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr, as well as some negotiating from Darryl Sutter of the Calgary Flames. [Sun Media]

• Is anyone else sort of fascinated by what, if anything, the Phoenix Coyotes are going to do in the next week or so? What's the budget? Who makes the deals? Do the potential new owners have any say? [Five For Howling]

• Free agent goalie Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson is delaying his decision until after the July 1 free-agent frenzy starts. So a Swedish hockey player has delaying making a decision. Water still wet. Pope, Catholic. All of it. [Sportsnet]

• Please go read Down Goes Brown's outtakes of "Brian Burke" mic'd up by TSN if you haven't already. And if you have, read it again; seriously, how many times have you seen "Airplane!" and still laughed, right? [DGB]